Phoenix Suns
Western Conference |division = Pacific Division |founded = 1968 |history = Phoenix Suns 1968–present |arena = Talking Stick Resort Arena |city = Phoenix, Arizona |team_colors = Orange, Purple, Gray, Black, White |owner(s) = Robert Sarver |general_manager = James Jones |head_coach = Monty Williams |uniform_sponsor = |d-league_affiliate = Northern Arizona Suns |nba_champs = 0''' |conf_champs = '''2 (1976, 1993) |div_champs = 6''' (1981, 1993, 1995, 2005, 2006, 2007) |ret_nums = '''10 (5, 6, 7, 9, 13, 24, 33, 34, 42, 44) |off_web = suns |court = |home = |away = |alt = |media = Fox Sports Arizona KTAR }} The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns are a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The franchise began play in 1968 as an expansion team, and their early years were shrouded in mediocrity, but their fortunes changed in the 1970s, where, after partnering long-term guard Dick Van Arsdale and center Alvan Adams with Paul Westphal, the Suns reached the 1976 NBA Finals. However, they lost to the Boston Celtics in six games. The Suns would rebuild around Walter Davis for a majority of the 1980s, until the acquisition of Kevin Johnson in 1988. Under Johnson, and after trading for perennial NBA All-Star Charles Barkley, and combined with the output of Tom Chambers and Dan Majerle, the Suns reached the playoffs for a franchise-record thirteen consecutive appearances and remained a regular title contender throughout the 1990s, and reached the 1993 NBA Finals. However, the team would again fail to win a championship, as they fell to Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in six games, and entered into another period of mediocrity until the early part of the 2000s. In 2004, the Suns reacquired Steve Nash, and immediately returned into playoff contention. With Nash, Shawn Marion, and Amar'e Stoudemire, and under head coach Mike D'Antoni, the Suns became renowned worldwide for their quick, dynamic offense, which led them to tie a franchise record in wins in the 2004–05 season. Two more top two Conference placements followed, but the Suns again failed to attain an NBA championship, and were forced into another rebuild. The Suns own the NBA's seventh-best all-time winning percentage, and have the second highest winning percentage of any teams to have never won an NBA championship. 10 Hall of Famers have played for Phoenix, while two Suns—Barkley and Nash—have won the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) award while playing for the team. Home arenas * Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum (1968–1992) * Talking Stick Resort Arena (formerly America West Arena and US Airways Center) (1992–present) Franchise history The early years: a Tucson connection On January 22, 1968, the NBA awarded expansion franchises to an ownership group from Phoenix and one from Milwaukee. The primary investors in the Phoenix franchise at its inception had close ties to Tucson, Arizona's second largest city. They were: * Richard Bloch, a Southern California investment broker/real estate developer and former Tucson resident (no relation to the Richard Bloch who was the co-founder of tax preparation provider H&R Block). * Karl Eller, owner of a major outdoor advertising company and one of the Phoenix area's most influential business leaders at that time. He was a former football player for The University of Arizona; * Donald Pitt, a Tucson-based attorney; * Don Diamond, Tucson-based real estate investor who eventually replaced Eller on the ownership managing team. All four men were alumni of The University of Arizona. According to the history section of the Suns website, other investors in the Suns included prominent entertainers such as Andy Williams and Henry Mancini. According to the Suns website http://www.nba.com/suns/history/68_69recap.html, the original logo was designed by Stanley Fabe, owner of a Tucson printing company, for $200. The new Suns ownership group hired former Chicago Bulls executive Jerry Colangelo to be general manager (he was 28 years of age when he took the position). Colangelo in turn hired Johnny "Red" Kerr (as of this writing a broadcaster with the Bulls) to be the first head coach of the Suns. Kerr was forced to resign midway through the 1969-70 season, and Colangelo himself coached a few games. Cotton Fitzsimmons replaced Colangelo as Suns coach for the 1970-71 season. He took the team to their first winning season, with a final record of 48-34. Fitzsimmons would return to the head coaching job in the late 1980s; he would go on to be greatly loved by Suns fans, wildly popular (and successful) as a coach, broadcaster and executive with the Suns organization. In the 1970s the Suns experienced mild success, combining the talents of such players as Dick Van Arsdale (The Original Sun), his twin brother Tom Van Arsdale, Hall of Famer Connie Hawkins, Len "Truck" Robinson, Alvan Adams, and center Neal Walk. In 1976, the year the movie Rocky was released, the Suns proved to be a real-life basketball version of Rocky. They finished the season with 42 wins and 40 losses, but shockingly they beat the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors in the playoffs and went on to play the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals, giving the Celtics a tough battle before falling in 6 games. Game 5 was a triple-overtime classic that is considered by many to be the greatest game in NBA history, with Suns forward Gar Heard hitting a buzzer beating rainbow jump shot ("The Shot") to send the contest into the third overtime at Boston Garden. Drug scandal; Colangelo takes control In the late '70s and early '80s, the Suns enjoyed several successful seasons, making the playoffs for 8 seasons in a row. Problems arose however, on and off court, in the mid '80s. In 1987 the Maricopa County Attorney's Office indicted 13 people on drug-related charges, three of whom were active Suns players (James Edwards, Jay Humphries and Grant Gondrezick). These indictments were partially based on testimony from star player Walter Davis, who was given immunity. No defendants ever went to trial: two of the players went into a prosecution diversion program, while another received probation. Nevertheless, the scandal, although now perceived in many respects to be a witchhunt, tarnished the reputation of the franchise both nationally and within the community. The scandal did provide an opening for general manager Colangelo to lead a group that bought the team from its owners for $44 million, a record at that time. With a drug scandal and the loss of promising young center Nick Vanos, who was killed in the crash of Northwest Airlines Flight 255 after taking off from Detroit Metropolitan Airport, the franchise was in turmoil on and off the court. The Suns' luck began to turn around in 1987, however, with the acquisition from the Cleveland Cavaliers of Kevin Johnson, Mark West, and Tyrone Corbin for popular power forward Larry Nance. In 1988, Tom Chambers came over from Seattle as the first unrestricted free agent in NBA history, Jeff Hornacek a 1986 second round pick continued to develop, "Thunder" Dan Majerle was drafted with the 14th pick in the draft, which they obtained from Cleveland in the Kevin Johnson trade, and the team began a 13-year playoff streak. Kurt Rambis was added from the Charlotte Hornets in 1989, and the team (coached by Fitzsimmons), in a shocking upset, beat the Los Angeles Lakers in 5 games that season before falling to the Portland Trail Blazers in the Western Conference Finals. In 1991, The Suns stormed to a 55-27 record, however they lost in the first round to the Utah Jazz 3-1. In 1992, the Suns cruised to a 53-29 record during the regular season. While having sent four players to the all-star game in the last two years (Chambers, Johnson, Hornacek and Majerle), the Suns were poised to make a serious run at the NBA Finals. They showed their poise by sweeping the San Antonio Spurs in 3 games. But once again the Suns fell in five games to the Trail Blazers in the conference semifinals, however the series was punctuated by an electrifying game 4, in which the Suns lost in double overtime 153-151. The Suns were yet again denied a shot at a title, but in subsequent seasons enjoyed even greater success than ever before. 1993 NBA Finals and "The Barkley Era" In 1992 the Suns moved into their new state-of-the-art arena in downtown Phoenix, the America West Arena. With the added revenue the Suns were now enjoying from their new facility, this allowed them to make some major roster moves. It started with the addition of flamboyant all-star power forward Charles Barkley who was traded from the Philadelphia 76ers for Jeff Hornacek, Andrew Lang, and Tim Perry. The luring of Barkley, one of the major national stars of the NBA, to Phoenix - one of the "small markets" in the minds of the primarily New York-centered sports media - was considered at the time to be huge. Many Suns fans believe that the addition of Barkley, "put Phoenix on the map". Barkley would go on to win his first and only MVP his first year with Phoenix in 1993. In addition to Barkley, the Suns added some key players to their roster including former Boston Celtic Danny Ainge and drafted two young promising performers in University of Arkansas center Oliver Miller and forward Richard Dumas (who was actually drafted in 1991 but was suspended for his rookie year for violating the NBA drug policy). The Suns had a dynamic team that was hard to stop and captured the attention of fans not only in Phoenix but across the entire state of Arizona and the nation as well. Under rookie head coach Paul Westphal (a former Suns assistant and, as a player, member of the 1976 Suns squad that went to the NBA Finals), the Suns squad consisting mostly of Barkey, Majerle, Johnson and Ainge won 62 games that year. After eliminating the Lakers, Spurs, and Sonics, the Suns advanced to the Finals for the second time in franchise history. They eventually lost in dramatic fashion to the Bulls, led by Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen. This series included a triple-overtime game (Game 3); the Suns have been involved in both of the two longest-ever NBA Finals games. Thousands of fans later flocked the streets of Phoenix in a "victory" celebration of sorts, in appreciation of a memorable season. The Suns continued to show great regular season success going 178-68 during the 1992-93, 1993-94, and 1994-95 seasons. They continued to bolster their roster adding players such as A.C. Green, Danny Manning, Elliot Perry, and Wesley Person. Despite a Pacific Division title in 1995, the Suns ended up being eliminated in consecutive Western Conference Semifinal rounds at the hands of the Houston Rockets. In both years the Suns led the series by two games at one point (2-0 in 1994, 3-1 in 1995) only to see the Rockets come back to win the matchup. At the end of the 1994-95 season, Phoenix Suns general manager, Bryan Colangelo (son of Jerry) initiated what proved to be a very costly trade, sending all star guard/forward Dan Majerle and a first round draft pick, to the Cleveland Cavaliers in exchange for John "Hot Rod" Williams. Majerle was a favorite amongst the fans in Phoenix as well as the Suns locker room. The trade was made to address the Suns' desperate need of a shot blocking center, but it proved in time to be unbeneficial as Majerle's presence was sorely missed, and Williams's production never met expectations. The 1995-96 season turned into a very disappointing year for the Suns in which they posted a 41-41 record, and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs to the San Antonio Spurs. Westphal was fired mid-way through the season and replaced once again by Fitzsimmons. A combination of front office unrest, along with the dwindling possibility of winning a championship lead to turmoil in Barkley's relationship with Jerry Colangelo who both spurned each other publicly. This led to Barkley being traded to Houston for Sam Cassell, Robert Horry, Mark Bryant, and Chucky Brown, but the trade turned out be very unproductive for either team, as Barkley's best years were behind him in Houston, as age and physical ability quickly caught up with an already aging Rockets team. As for the Suns, three of the four players were not with the franchise just one year later, and furthermore the two most talented players (being Horry and Cassell) constantly clashed with the coach and seemed to be a negative influence in the locker room. (The feud between Barkley and Colangelo has since been repaired, and Barkley has appeared at a number of Suns home games in the years since. He was also present to see his number retired into the Suns "Ring Of Honor" in 2004.) In the 1996 NBA Draft, the Suns used their 15th pick for guard Steve Nash, of Canada. Upon hearing the draft announcement, Suns fans booed in disapproval of the relatively unknown player, due to the fact that he had not played in one of the major college conferences. 3 During his first two seasons in the NBA, he played a supporting role behind NBA star point guards Jason Kidd and Kevin Johnson. On June 25, 1998, Nash was traded from the Suns to the Mavericks in exchange for Martin Muursepp, Bubba Wells, the draft rights to Pat Garrity, and a first-round draft pick which was later used to select Shawn Marion. 1997–2004: Average times After the trade, the Suns began the 1996-97 miserably starting 0-13 which was a franchise record for the worst start. During the 13 game losing streak Fitzsimmons stepped down as coach and was replaced by former player Danny Ainge. After an on the court altercation between Ainge and Horry, Horry was traded to the Lakers for former Sun and NBA all-star Cedric Ceballos. Cassell was later traded to Dallas for all-star guard Jason Kidd. With a mostly small lineup, the Suns put together an 11 game win streak that put them in the playoffs, in a series that almost upset the highly favored Sonics. in 2002, becoming a six-time NBA All-Star.|left]]In the off-season before the 2000 NBA season the Suns traded for perennial All-Star Anfernee Hardaway (also known as "Penny" Hardaway) stirring a large amount of hype by creating the tandem of Kidd and Hardaway, which was called "Backcourt 2000". However, the combination of Hardaway and Kidd was never fully realized as Hardaway would miss a number of games during the middle of the 1999-2000 season and Kidd would break his ankle going into the playoffs just as Hardaway began his return to the court. As the Suns, now led by the returned Hardaway entered the 2000 playoffs, they shocked the favored San Antonio Spurs by ousting them from the playoffs 3-1 in the best of five series. However, even with the return of Kidd at Hardaway's side in the next round, the Suns fell to the eventual champion Los Angeles Lakers in a 4-1 series. The Suns continued to make the playoffs until the 2001-02 campaign, when they fell short for the first time in 14 years. That season marked the trade of Jason Kidd, partly due to a publicized domestic violence episode, to the New Jersey Nets for Stephon Marbury. Lottery-bound, however, the Suns were able to draft Amare Stoudemire. The 2002-03 campaign saw the emergence of Amaré Stoudemire, who many have likened to Hall of Fame forward/center Moses Malone. His size and athleticism, along with a strong work ethic, have many anticipating him to join the ranks of Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Garnett as the best NBA players to have jumped from high school to the pro ranks. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year for the 2002-03 season, during which the Suns posted a record of 44-38 and returned to the playoffs. The Suns were eliminated in the first round once again by the San Antonio Spurs, but only after a six game series in which the Suns played the eventual NBA champions surprisingly close. In the 2003-04 season, the Suns again found themselves out of the playoffs. Following one of the worst pre-seasons in Suns franchise history, the Suns got off to a rocky start in the regular season. Convinced that the team was going nowhere, the Suns made a blockbuster mid-season trade sending Stephon Marbury and Penny Hardaway off to the New York Knicks. After the trade, the Suns continued to struggle, but the trade opened up opportunities for some of the Sun's young rising stars. The Steve Nash Era (2004–2010) The beginning of 2004 saw the departure of the face of Suns management since the team's inception, when Jerry Colangelo announced that the Phoenix Suns were to be sold to an investment group headed by San Diego-based business executive (and Tucson native) Robert Sarver for $401 million. However, the 2004-05 season marked the Suns' return to the NBA's elite, with the Suns finishing with the best record in the NBA at 62-20, tying their franchise record that was set by the 1992-93 team. This feat was made possible by the offseason re-acquisition of All-Star point guard and former Sun Steve Nash from Dallas. Nash would go on to win the MVP award that season. Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion were named All-Stars this year and first year coach, Mike D'Antoni, was named NBA Coach of the Year. In the 2005 playoffs, Phoenix was the first seed in the Western Conference, and because it owned the NBA's best record, it was guaranteed home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Suns swept the Memphis Grizzlies 4-0 and defeated the number fourth-seeded Dallas Mavericks in the second round 4-2, Steve Nash forcing Game 6 into OT with a 3-pointer in the dying seconds. In the Western Conference Finals, the Suns played the San Antonio Spurs who won the series 4-1, ending Phoenix's outstanding season. The Suns narrowly lost the first 2 at home fell behind 3-0 in the series but won Game 4 in San Antonio 111-106 but were eliminated at home 101-95. Amare Stoudemire averaged a staggering 37.0 ppg, the highest ever by a player in their first Conference Finals. The 2005-06 season began on an incredibly sour note when Amare Stoudemire underwent microfracture knee surgery on October 18, 2005. He missed all but three games that year. Along with that, promising shooting guard Joe Johnson demanded a trade to the Atlanta Hawks, in which the Suns got Boris Diaw along with two future first round picks. Other acquisitions this year included Raja Bell and Kurt Thomas. Despite the turnover in players, the Suns were once again able to win the Pacific going 54-28 and capturing the second seed in the Western Conference. Steve Nash was awarded his second consecutive NBA Most Valuable Player Award, becoming the second point-guard (Magic Johnson was the first) to win the award multiple times. Also, Boris Diaw was named NBA Most Improved Player. The Suns began the 2006 Western Conference Playoffs as favorites against the Los Angeles Lakers. After winning Game 1 in Phoenix, they found themselves trailing in the series 3-1 after impressive performances by Laker shooting guard Kobe Bryant. However, the Suns went on to win three straight games. They won Game 5 easily at home and Game 6 in OT, their first OT win all season despite 50 points from Bryant and Raja Bell out serving a one-game suspension (for a flagrant foul against Bryant in Game 5) with last second help from midseason acquisition Tim Thomas. On their home court, the Suns won Game 7 121-90, eliminating the Lakers for the first time since 1993. The Suns became only the eighth team in NBA history to win a playoff series after being behind 3-1. In the second round, the Suns faced the Los Angeles Clippers. The series was a see-saw, with both teams trading games on each others' courts. The series was 2-2 and The Suns faced a huge deficit in Game 5 but fought back and won in double OT and after a Game 6 loss finally won the series in the decisive seventh game on their home court at US Airways Center, winning by a margin of 20 with an NBA record 15 3-point FG's May 22, 2006. They went on to play the Dallas Mavericks in the Western Conference Finals. Underdogs this time, The Suns took Game 1 in Dallas by a single point and their May 30 victory in Game 4 marked the most wins thus far for the franchise in a Conference Finals series since the 1993 season. Many credit this success (despite losing Stoudemire) to the emergence of Diaw, Bell (injured for most of this series), and Barbosa as clutch playoff performers; and an overall team depth they did not possess at all last season. The Suns fought hard in Games 5 and 6 but clearly missed the injured Raja Bell's hot shooting and defense and were finally eliminated from the series on June 3, 2006 in Game 6. In the 2006 offseason, the Suns signed Minnesota Timberwolves PG Marcus Banks to a five-year contract worth about $21 million. Also, the Suns signed G Leandro Barbosa to a five-year contract extension beginning in the 2007-08 season worth approximately $33 million. Boris Diaw was also extended to a five year deal worth approximately $45 million. 2006–07 season The Suns entered the 2006–07 season aiming to win the first championship in franchise history. From November 20 to December 22, the Suns posted a 15-game win streak, followed almost immediately with a 17-game win streak from December 29 to January 28. On March 14, the 49–14 Suns met the 52–10 Dallas Mavericks in a match-up where both teams were fighting for the top seed in the Western conference and Nash was going for his third consecutive MVP award against Dirk Nowitzki. Though the Suns won the game in double overtime, the Mavericks would finish with the West's top seed at 67–15, and Nowitzki would narrowly win the MVP award ahead of Nash. While the Mavericks were upset in the first round by the eight-seed Golden State Warriors, the 61–21 Suns defeated Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers in five games in the opening round of the playoffs. This set up a rematch of the 2005 Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs. The series saw the Spurs defeat the Suns in six games, in what many called "the real finals" of the 2006–07 season. The Spurs went on to win the championship that year. 2007–08 season On June 6, former TNT TV analyst and NBA three-point specialist, Steve Kerr, was appointed Suns' general manager and president of basketball operations. Kerr was also a part of the Sarver-led investment group that purchased the franchise from Jerry Colangelo. His first off-season signing was former Orlando Magic small forward Grant Hill on a one-year $1.8 million deal with a player option for a second season at $2 million. Hill, who was previously considered injury-prone, played in the majority of games over the next four seasons as a starter. The Suns finished 55–27 on the season, two games behind the Lakers who won the division. In the opening round of the playoffs, the Suns lost to the Spurs in five games, the first time they did not advance past the first round in the D'Antoni-Nash era. Some have attributed this to the mid-season acquisition of aging former MVP Shaquille O'Neal for four-time All Star Shawn Marion. Though O'Neal was brought in as a physical presence to match with the likes of the Spurs' Tim Duncan, the move all but ended their fast-paced offense which had brought them to the cusp of a Finals appearance. On May 11, 2008, Suns' head coach Mike D'Antoni left the team and signed with the New York Knicks. Ups and Downs (2008–2010) On June 9, 2008, Terry Porter was named head coach of the Phoenix Suns, succeeding Mike D'Antoni. Porter was an assistant coach of the Detroit Pistons when he was let go after the Pistons were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Eastern Conference Finals. During the off-season, the Suns had difficulties signing free agents because of being over the luxury tax. They made attempts to sign a backup point guard, Tyronn Lue; however, he decided to sign with the Bucks for more money. The Suns selected Robin Lopez (15th overall pick out of Stanford) in the 2008 NBA draft and acquired Goran Dragić, who was originally picked by the rival San Antonio Spurs. On February 16, 2009, the Suns fired Porter and he was succeeded by Alvin Gentry. The Suns were expected to make the transition back to the up-tempo style basketball nicknamed the "7 Seconds or Less" or "Run and Gun" style. On February 18, Gentry began his head coaching tenure with a 140–100 blowout over the Clippers at home. Six Suns players scored in double digits, led by Leandro Barbosa's 24 points. The Suns led by as much as 50 points during the game and were without their swingman Jason Richardson who was serving a one-game suspension. However, this offense cost them their defense, allowing over 107 points per game, 27th in the league. The Suns scored 140 in the next two games. On February 20, Amar'e Stoudemire underwent eye surgery and was out for eight weeks. They went 18–13 under Gentry in the last 31 games. At the end of the season, the Suns missed the playoffs with a 46–36 record. During the 2009–10 season, the Suns played a far more balanced style of basketball and finished with a 54–28 record. The Suns advanced to the Western Conference Finals, eliminating the Portland Trail Blazers in six games and the San Antonio Spurs in four games, including an explosive performance by Goran Dragić in game three against the Spurs, scoring 23 points in the fourth quarter. The Suns faced the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals, but lost in six games. On June 15, 2010, Kerr resigned as general manager of the Suns and opted to return as an analyst for TNT effective June 30, 2010. In the wake of Kerr's decision to leave the club, senior vice president of basketball operations David Griffin told managing partner Robert Sarver he did not want to be a candidate to replace Kerr and left when his contract expired on June 30. The last moves of both Steve Kerr and David Griffin were drafting players Gani Lawal and Dwayne Collins with the second round draft picks that they had in the 2010 NBA draft. Slow decline without Amar'e (2010–2012) The Suns re-signed Amar'e Stoudemire in the 2010 free agency period with a five-year contract for around $95 million, with $71 million guaranteed, and the rest of his salary coming only if certain conditions were held, such as getting guaranteed 4th and 5th-season money if he remained healthy enough to meet those conditions. However, during the summer of 2010, the Suns let Stoudemire go to the New York Knicks since they were guaranteeing him $100 million and hired player agent Lon Babby as president of basketball operations. The team then paid over $80 million to acquire Hedo Türkoğlu, Josh Childress, and Hakim Warrick to not only replace Stoudemire but also add bench depth. On August 5, 2010, the Suns hired Lance Blanks as general manager. On December 19, 2010, the Suns acquired Vince Carter, Mickaël Piétrus, and Marcin Gortat from the Orlando Magic, along with a low draft pick and cash considerations. For this acquisition, the Suns traded Jason Richardson, Earl Clark, and the recently acquired Hedo Türkoğlu. On February 24, 2011, the Suns acquired point guard Aaron Brooks, trading first round (lottery-protected) draft pick and point guard Goran Dragić to the Houston Rockets. The Suns ended the 2010–11 season with a losing record and missed the playoffs. In the 2011 NBA draft, the Suns used their 13th pick on Markieff Morris, a 6' 10" power forward from the Kansas Jayhawks. Markieff is the twin brother of Marcus Morris, who played together for three years in Kansas. In the 2012 NBA draft, the Suns used their 13th pick to select Kendall Marshall, a 6' 4" point guard from the North Carolina Tar Heels. Marshall was a prolific passer in his two seasons at North Carolina; setting the ACC31 and North Carolina season assist records, along with winning the Bob Cousy Award in his sophomore season with the Tar Heels. Decline and struggles (2012–present) 2012–13 During the 2012 free agency period, the Suns traded Steve Nash to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for first round picks in 2013 and 2015, as well as second round picks in 2013 and 2014. After the trade, the Suns then re-acquired point guard Goran Dragić from Houston, signed Minnesota Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley, and claimed Houston forward Luis Scola off amnesty waivers while also using the same amnesty clause (as codified in the 2011 collective bargaining agreement) to waive Josh Childress. They also did a three-way trade with the New Orleans Hornets and the Timberwolves by trading Robin Lopez and Hakim Warrick to the Hornets and a 2014 second rounder to the Timberwolves in exchange for Wesley Johnson, a top 14-protected future first rounder and the rights to Brad Miller and Jerome Dyson. The latter two players' rights were later waived and the Suns then signed Jermaine O'Neal for one year. The Suns also signed P. J. Tucker based on his performance with the Suns' Summer League team. On September 20, it was announced that Channing Frye had dilated cardiomyopathy and as a result, he missed the entire 2012–13 season, although he sometimes made special appearances to do the pre-game show for local Suns games with Tom Leander and Tom Chambers. On January 12, 2013, the Suns became the fourth-fastest NBA team to win 2,000 games with a 97–81 road victory against the Chicago Bulls, which also marked the last victory for Alvin Gentry as head coach for the Suns. On January 18, 2013, the day after a loss that broke a 24-home-game winning streak against the Milwaukee Bucks, Gentry agreed to leave the Phoenix Suns organization. Two days later, player development coach Lindsey Hunter was named interim head coach role for the remainder of the season. A few days later, assistant head coaches Dan Majerle and Elston Turner had also resigned from their positions. On February 21, 2013, the Suns had traded their 2013 second round pick to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Marcus Morris, the twin brother of power forward Markieff Morris. A day later, the Suns traded point guard Sebastian Telfair to the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Iranian center Hamed Haddadi and a 2014 second round pick. The Suns ended their first post-Steve Nash season with a 25–57 win-loss record, their second-worst record in franchise history behind only their inaugural season. On April 22, 2013, it was announced that the Suns had fired general manager Lance Blanks. On May 7, 2013, former Celtics assistant general manager Ryan McDonough was announced as the new general manager of the Suns. On May 26, 2013, the Suns hired Jeff Hornacek as their head coach to replace interim head coach Lindsey Hunter. The team also started the new season with new modified logos, replacing most of the purple on their logos with black, although purple would still be found on their jerseys. 2013–14 In the 2013 NBA draft on June 27, the Suns selected Ukrainian center Alex Len from the Maryland with their 5th pick and power forward Alex Oriakhi from the Missouri with their 57th pick. Although the Suns were expected to have a poor season, they began the season with a 19–11 record. Eric Bledsoe then went down against the Los Angeles Clippers with a torn meniscus and missed the following 33 games. The Suns went 17–16 during his absence led by Goran Dragić, keeping Phoenix in the playoff race with the Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks. At 47–32 while Dallas and Memphis were both 48–32, Phoenix lost against both teams before they defeated the Sacramento Kings to finish the season 48–34. Dallas finished 49–33 and Memphis finished 50–32, resulting in Memphis finishing with the seventh seed, Dallas with the eighth, and Phoenix out of the playoffs. 2014–15 During the 2014 NBA draft, the Suns drafted sophomore forward T. J. Warren from NC State, Canadian freshman point guard Tyler Ennis from Syracuse, Serbian shooting guard Bodgan Bogdanović, and senior center-power forward Alec Brown from Wisconsin-Green Bay. After trying to obtain players like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh, and losing Channing Frye to the Orlando Magic, the Suns decided to sign-and-trade for Sacramento Kings point guard Isaiah Thomas under a four-year contract worth $27 million in exchange for Alex Oriakhi, using a $7 million traded-player exception. On September 24, 2014, the Suns and Eric Bledsoe agreed on a five-year contract worth $70 million. A couple of days after, on September 29, 2014, they extended both Markieff and Marcus Morris to four-year deals that combine to $52 million, with Markieff earning $32 million and Marcus getting the remaining $20 million. Right before the trade deadline on February 19, 2015, the Suns made moves to change the roster. After demanding a trade due to lingering frustrations with the front office and direction of the team, Goran Dragić and his brother Zoran were traded by the Suns to the Miami Heat for Danny Granger and Miami's 2017 and 2021 first round picks in a three-team trade with the New Orleans Pelicans. Immediately after the trade, the Suns replaced Dragić by trading for Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Knight, sending Tyler Ennis and Miles Plumlee to Milwaukee and the Lakers' 2015 first round pick to the Philadelphia 76ers. Isaiah Thomas was then traded to the Boston Celtics for Marcus Thornton and the Cleveland Cavaliers' 2016 first round pick. 2015–16 In the 2015 NBA draft, the Suns drafted Kentucky shooting guard Devin Booker with the 13th pick. He was the youngest player drafted at the time by the Suns at 18-years-old and debuted two days before his 19th birthday against the Dallas Mavericks. On July 1, 2015, the Suns retained the rights of Brandon Knight under an offer similar to that of Eric Bledsoe's, and signed Dallas Mavericks center Tyson Chandler to a four-year deal worth $52 million. A day later, the Suns traded Markieff's brother Marcus Morris, Reggie Bullock, and Danny Granger to the Detroit Pistons in exchange for their 2020 second round selection. However, star player Eric Bledsoe sustained a season-ending injury on December 26, 2015. On February 1, 2016, the Suns relieved Jeff Hornacek of his duties as head coach. Former NBA player Earl Watson took on interim head coaching duties. The Suns traded the disgruntled Markieff Morris on February 19, 2016, to the Washington Wizards for Kris Humphries, DeJuan Blair, and the Wizards' first round pick in the 2016 NBA draft. On March 14, 2016, the Suns were eliminated from playoff contention for a sixth straight season making it the longest drought in franchise history surpassing the five straight misses from the 1970–71 NBA season to the 1974–75 NBA season. However, rookie Devin Booker went from being a sixth-man off the bench player for Kentucky to future impact player after the injuries to Eric Bledsoe and Brandon Knight. He earned the team's first NBA All-Rookie Team honors since Amar'e Stoudemire back in 2003. Earl Watson officially became the full-time head coach on April 19, 2016, with his new assistant coaches Jay Triano, former Suns player Tyrone Corbin, Marlon Garnett, and Scott Duncan replacing most of the assistant coaches from the previous season. During the 2016 NBA draft, the Suns drafted the 18-year-old Bosnian-born Croatian forward-center Dragan Bender, Washington power forward Marquese Chriss, and Kentucky point guard Tyler Ulis; Chriss was acquired by trading the Suns' 13th and 28th selections, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and the Pistons' 2020 second round pick to the Sacramento Kings. During the 2016 free agency period, the Suns regained former players and fan-favorites Jared Dudley and Leandro Barbosa under new deals. 2016–17 While the Suns ended the 2016–17 season with only a slight improvement from their previous record despite the return of Eric Bledsoe, Devin Booker continued to improve in his second season with the team, leading the team in points scored at 22.1 per game. Marquese Chriss was also named to the All-Rookie Second Team that season. 2017–18 In the 2017 NBA draft, the Suns dropped to the 4th pick in the draft and selected Josh Jackson from the University of Kansas. On October 22, 2017, head coach Earl Watson was fired after a 0–3 start that included two losses of 40+ point deficits, which led to Jay Triano being promoted to interim head coach. On November 7, Bledsoe was traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for Greg Monroe and a protected first and second round draft pick. The Suns ended the season with the second-worst record in franchise history at 21–61. After the season concluded, the Suns let go of interim head coach Triano and hired Igor Kokoškov as the team's new head coach. The Suns earned their first no. 1 pick in the 2018 NBA draft lottery after ending the season with the league-worst record that year. With the first overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft, Phoenix selected Deandre Ayton. They would also trade up into the top 10 that year to take Mikal Bridges with the 10th pick from the Philadelphia 76ers, a draft pick the Suns already had from the Steve Nash trade before trading the pick to the 76ers in the Brandon Knight trade. In the offseason, Devin Booker signed a 5-year $158 million dollar contract extension with the Suns. 2018–19 Before the start of the official season and during preseason on October 8, 2018, owner Robert Sarver decided to relieve Ryan McDonough of General Manager Duties and named vice president of basketball operations James Jones and assistant general manager Trevor Bukstein the interim general managers. A highlight of the season was when a planned three-way trade with the Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies fell apart through miscommunication of the players involved and being sent in the planned deal. The Suns would once again have another losing season as they missed the playoffs for the ninth straight season. at the end of the season, the Suns made James Jones the team's permanent general manager, with co-interim general manager Trevor Bukstein returning to his prior assistant general manager role. When the season came to an end, the coaching staff, including head coach Igor Kokoškov, were fired on April 23, 2019 and hired former New Orleans Hornets/Pelicans head coach and Philadelphia 76ers assistant coach Monty Williams as the team's new head coach on May 3, and completed the rest of the new coaching staff on June 26. Phoenix finished with a 19–63 record, the worst in the west. Deandre Ayton made first-team all-rookie. The Suns had the third odds in the lottery but landed the 6th pick. 2019–20 During the day of the 2019 NBA Draft, the Suns agreed to deal T. J. Warren to the Indiana Pacers and their second round pick (which would become KZ Okpala from Stanford University) to the Miami Heat for cash considerations.58 During the draft, they agreed to swap their 6th pick (which would become Jarrett Culver from Texas Tech University), trading down for the Minnesota Timberwolves's 11th pick (which would become Cameron Johnson from the University of North Carolina) and Dario Šarić and also agreeing to deal the Milwaukee Bucks's future first round pick to the Boston Celtics for Aron Baynes and the draft rights to University of Virginia champion point guard Ty Jerome, as well as agree to a deal with undrafted Brewster Academy postgraduate Jalen Lecque. The Suns played the Kings opening night on October 23 and won 124–95 in a blowout victory. On October 24, Deandre Ayton was suspended 25 games for failing a drug test. Logos and Uniforms Logos For the 2000-01 season, the Phoenix Suns introduced three new logos. Two of these were merely updates to existing logos, modernizing the themes and adding the gray color. The logo pictured here incorporates the mythical phoenix bird into the existing Suns' theme. It illustrates the team's hometown by picturing the bird it was named after rising out a ball with an abbreviation for Phoenix. Of the team's three logos, this is the one that adorns the hardwood at center court. There is a media dispute over the usage of the logo, as many TV networks use the new one (left), but many video games and websites still use the secondary logo (top) that had been the team's main logo of the 1990's. Uniforms Since the 2013-14 season, the Suns have used the same home and road uniforms. In the same year, an alternate uniform was also introduced. This orange uniform is used both at home and on the road. Phoenix Suns Home Uniform.gif|Home Uniform Phoenix Suns Road Uniform.gif|Away Uniform Phoenix Suns Alternate Uniform.gif|Alternate Home/Away Uniform Season-by-Season Records |- |colspan="6" align=center bgcolor="#423189" | Phoenix Suns |- |1968-69 || 16 || 66 || .195 || || |- |1969-70 || 39 || 43 || .476 || Lost Division Semifinals || Los Angeles 4, Phoenix 3 |- |1970-71 || 48 || 34 || .585 || || |- |1971-72 || 49 || 33 || .598 || || |- |1972-73 || 38 || 44 || .463 || || |- |1973-74 || 30 || 52 || .366 || || |- |1974-75 || 32 || 50 || .390 || || |- |1975-76 || 42 || 40 || .512 || Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals || Phoenix 4, Seattle 2 Phoenix 4, Golden State 3 Boston 4, Phoenix 2 |- |1976-77 || 34 || 48 || .415 || || |- |1977-78 || 49 || 33 || .598 || Lost First Round || Milwaukee 2, Phoenix 0 |- |1978-79 || 50 || 32 || .610 || Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals || Phoenix 2, Portland 1 Phoenix 4, Kansas City 1 Seattle 4, Phoenix 3 |- |1979-80 || 55 || 27 || .671 || Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals || Phoenix 2, Kansas City 1 Los Angeles 4, Phoenix 1 |- |1980-81 || 57 || 25 || .695 || Lost Conference Semifinals || Kansas City 4, Phoenix 3 |- |1981-82 || 46 || 36 || .561 || Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals || Phoenix 2, Denver 1 Los Angeles 4, Phoenix 0 |- |1982-83 || 53 || 29 || .646 || Lost First Round || Denver 2, Phoenix 1 |- |1983-84 || 41 || 41 || .500 || Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals || Phoenix 3, Portland 2 Phoenix 4, Utah 2 Los Angeles 4, Phoenix 2 |- |1984-85 || 36 || 46 || .439 || Lost First Round || LA Lakers 3, Phoenix 0 |- |1985-86 || 32 || 50 || .390 || || |- |1986-87 || 36 || 46 || .439 || || |- |1987-88 || 24 || 54 || .341 || || |- |1988-89 || 55 || 27 || .671 || Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals || Phoenix 3, Denver 0 Phoenix 4, Golden State 1 LA Lakers 4, Phoenix 0 |- |1989-90 || 54 || 28 || .659 || Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals || Phoenix 3, Utah 2 Phoenix 4, LA Lakers 1 Portland 4, Phoenix 2 |- |1990-91 || 55 || 27 || .671 || Lost First Round || Utah 3, Phoenix 1 |- |1991-92 || 53 || 29 || .646 || Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals || Phoenix 3, San Antonio 0 Portland 4, Phoenix 1 |- |1992-93 || 62 || 20 || .756 || Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Won Conference Finals Lost NBA Finals || Phoenix 3, LA Lakers 2 Phoenix 4, San Antonio 2 Phoenix 4, Seattle 3 Chicago 4, Phoenix 2 |- |1993-94 || 56 || 26 || .683 || Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals || Phoenix 3, Golden State 0 Houston 4, Phoenix 3 |- |1994-95 || 59 || 23 || .720 || Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals ||Phoenix 3, Portland 0 Houston 4, Phoenix 3 |- |1995-96 || 41 || 41 || .500 || Lost First Round || San Antonio 3, Phoenix 1 |- |1996-97 || 40 || 42 || .488 || Lost First Round || Seattle 3, Phoenix 2 |- |1997-98 || 56 || 26 || .683 || Lost First Round || San Antonio 3, Phoenix 1 |- |1998-99 || 27 || 23 || .540 || Lost First Round || Portland 3, Phoenix 0 |- |1999-00 || 53 || 29 || .646 || Won First Round Lost Conference Semifinals || Phoenix 3, San Antonio 1 LA Lakers 4, Phoenix 1 |- |2000-01 || 51 || 31 || .623 || Lost First Round || Sacramento 3, Phoenix 1 |- |2001-02 || 36 || 46 || .439 || || |- |2002-03 || 44 || 38 || .537 || Lost First Round || San Antonio 4, Phoenix 2 |- |2003-04 || 29 || 53 || .354 || || |- |2004-05 || 62 || 20 || .756 || Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals || Phoenix 4, Memphis 0 Phoenix 4, Dallas 2 San Antonio 4, Phoenix 1 |- |2005-06 || 54 || 28 || .659 || Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals ||Phoenix 4, LA Lakers 3 Phoenix 4, LA Clippers 3 Dallas 4, Phoenix 2 |- |2006-07 || 61 || 21 || .744 || Won First Round Loat Conference Semifinals ||Phoenix 4, LA Lakers 1 San Antonio 4, Phoenix 2 |- |2007-08 || 55 || 27 || .671 || Lost First Round || San Antonio 4, Phoenix 1 |- |2008-09 || 46 || 36 || .561 || || |- |2009-10 || 54 || 28 || .659 || Won First Round Won Conference Semifinals Lost Conference Finals || Phoenix 4, Portland 2 Phoenix 4, San Antonio 0 LA Lakers 4, Phoenix 2 |- |2010-11 || 40 || 42 || .488 || || |- |2011-12 || 33 || 33 || .500 || || |- |2012-13 || 25 || 57 || .305 || || |- |2013-14 || 48 || 34 || .585 || || |- |2014-15 || 39 || 43 || .476 || || |- |2015-16 || 23 || 59 || .280 || || |- |2016-17 || 24 || 58 || .293 || || |- |2017-18 || 21 || 61 || .256 || || |- |2018-19 || 19 || 63 || .232 || || |- !Totals || 2186 || 1948 || .529 || || |- !Playoffs || 133 || 141 || .485 || colspan=2 | 0 Championships Trivia *The Suns are one of three teams that play in the Phoenix city proper along with the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Phoenix Mercury; the Arizona Cardinals and Phoenix Coyotes play in suburban Glendale. *The Suns have the 4th-best all-time regular season win percentage; only the rival Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics have better percentages. *The Suns join the Charlotte Bobcats and Golden State Warriors to have an orange jersey. *In the 1974 movie "Mixed Company," Joseph Bologna played a hapless Phoenix Suns coach who struggled to balance the demands of coaching an inept team with the even greater demands of his family adopting mixed race orphans. Suns broadcasters and broadcasts The play-by-play voice of the Suns the first two seasons was Rodney "Hot Rod" Hundley, who would later go on to be the longtime voice of the Utah Jazz. Legendary broadcaster Al McCoy has covered the team ever since. McCoy, who in 2006-07, will broadcast Suns games on radio for the 37th consecutive season, actually simulcast his broadcasts on radio and television for many seasons. McCoy's unique, folksy style of calling the games, including his signature catchphrases such as "Shazam!" for a three-point shot, endeared him to thousands of Suns fans across Arizona, the Southwest, and nationwide. McCoy was honored for his announcing at a Phoenix Suns game, in which the Suns defeated the Indiana Pacers. He was partnered for many years with legendary coach Cotton Fitzsimmons. In recent years, former NBA players Vinny Del Negro and Tim Kempton served as color commentators on the radio side, with Del Negro working most regular-season home games and all of the playoffs with McCoy (Del Negro was named Suns director of player personnel during the 2006 offseason). The flagship radio station is KTAR Phoenix, which has carried Suns games for 38 seasons, as of 2006-07. Former NBA on CBS brodcaster Gary Bender has handled the cable Fox Sports Net (FSN-Arizona) telecasts since the early 1990s. Beginning with the 2003-04 season, Tom Leander assumed the reins on over-the-air TV; the games air on MyNetworkTV affiliate KUTP. Former Suns star Dan Majerle, a member of the team's Ring-of-Honor has served as a commentator on television broadcasts since 2004. He splits the color commentator duties with former Suns star Eddie Johnson. The FSN Arizona broadcasts have been different from those of NBA teams on other affiliate networks, because the time-and-score graphic does not include an embedded shot clock. Instead, it has only been shown when the clock reaches eight seconds or less, is shown in large print, and is sponsored. Among the sponsors of the clock's appearances have been Henkel and the Arizona Department of Health Services (under the slogan "Inhale Life"). However, for the 2006-07 season, an embedded clock was added to the KUTP telecasts. (It should also be noted that each basket of the game is also sponsored, by companies like Southwest Airlines and Roomstore.) On January 19, 2007, an embedded clock was part of the graphic during the FSN Arizona telecast of the team's victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, but the sponsored shot clock was still also on-screen when the time was expiring. It is unknown if the embedded clock was only a one-night change or will be a permanent feature of Suns broadcasts. Sources *Phoenix Gazette, January 22, 1968. *Arizona Republic, January 23, 1968. *"Suns continue ties to Tucson", Greg Hansen, Arizona Daily Star, April 17, 2004. http://www.azstarnet.com/dailystar/printDS/18374.php Players of note Current Roster * 15 - Ryan Anderson * 22 - DeAndre Ayton * 35 - Dragan Bender * 1 - Devin Booker * 25 - Mikal Bridges * 11 - Jamal Crowford * 30 - Troy Daniels * 0 - Jawun Evans * 21 - Richaun Holmes * 20 - Josh Jackson * 8 - George King * 14 - De'Anthony Melton * 23 - Eric Moreland * 2 - Elie Okobo * 3 - Kelly Oubre Jr. * 12 - T.J. Warren Basketball Hall of Famers *Charles Barkley *Jerry Colangelo *Connie Hawkins *Gail Goodrich Not to be forgotten Retired numbers/Suns Ring of Honor *'5' Dick Van Arsdale, G, 1968–77 *'6' Walter Davis, G, 1977–88 *'7' Kevin Johnson, G, 1988–2000 *'9' Dan Majerle, F, 1988–95, 2001–02 *'13 'Steve Nash, G, 1996–98, 2004–12 *'24' Tom Chambers, F, 1988–93 *'33' Alvan Adams, C, 1975–88 *'34' Charles Barkley, F, 1992–96 *'42' Connie Hawkins, F, 1969–73 *'44' Paul Westphal, G, 1975–80 & 1983–84; Head Coach, 1992–96 *'MIC '''Al McCoy, Broadcaster, 1972–present *'–''' Jerry Colangelo, Owner/Head Coach/Executive, 1968–2004 *'–' Cotton Fitzsimmons, Head Coach, 1970–1972, 1988–1992, 1996 *'–' John MacLeod, Head Coach, 1973–87 *'–' Joe Proski, Trainer, 1968–2000 See also *List of Phoenix Suns coaches External links *Phoenix Suns (Official Website) *BasketballBoards.net - Phoenix Suns Forum *Phoenix Suns @ Yahoo! Sports Encyclopedia *PhxSuns.net Fan Message Board *phxhoops.com - Phoenix Suns Fan Website with News, Forums, and Auctions *Bright Side of the Sun - Phoenix Suns Fan Blog and Discussions *SunsDynasty.com - The Ultimate Resource For Phoenix Suns Fans *The Suns Information *Phoenix Suns Blog @ NBAWeblog.com *Phoenix Suns Blog with Recaps, News, Commentary, Pictures, Videos and Drivel Category:National Basketball Association teams Category:Phoenix Suns Category:Established in 1968 Category:Pacific Division (NBA) Category: Western Conference (NBA)